MMA: Belingon faces undefeated Korean at One FC War of Nations

Carlos Cinco

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Former URCC flyweight champion Kevin “The Silencer” Belingon will face unbeaten Korean prospect Dae Hwan Kim at One FC War of Nations at One FC War of Nations next month

BANTAMWEIGHT BRAWL. Filipino bantamweight prospect Kevin Belingon (pictured) will face Dae Hwan Kim at One FC War of Nations. Photo from Belingon's Facebook

SINGAPORE – Former URCC flyweight champion Kevin “The Silencer” Belingon is one of the Philippines’ most promising professional mixed martial artists today. On March 14, Belingon continues his conquest of the bantamweight division at the Stadium Negara in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, as he takes on unbeaten Korean prospect Dae Hwan Kim at One FC War of Nations.

The fight will serve as a co-headliner to the welterweight showdown between Brock Larson and Nobutatsu Suzuki, a fight which will determine the promotion’s first ever welterweight champion.

Competing in One FC and fighting out of the famed Team Lakay stable from Baguio city, Belingon (12-3) has amassed some spectacular wins as of late, including a quick knockout of American David Aranda via a single, brutal shot to the temple just last December.

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After a loss to Masakatsu Ueda in May of last year, Belingon has since then made it a point to improve his grappling, along with the rest of his stable mates.

Against Aranda – an American fighter known for finishing nearly 90% of his opponents by submission – Belingon’s improved ground game made sure that Aranda never had an advantage on the mat. As a result, the fight was kept standing.

At around the two and a half minute mark of the very first round, Belingon trapped Aranda in a Muay Thai clinch and delivered a sharp right hook to the American’s temple, causing the crowd to erupt in excitement. Belingon’s career was back on track following the victory.

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But what Belingon will have in front of him in his next fight is a totally different beast.

Dae Hwan Kim, a South Korean native complete with all the bells and whistles of a traditional Korean fighter – guts, toughness, tenacity, great all-around skills – is undefeated with 9 wins and a draw. Kim submitted the always tough Australian Thanh Vu in his last fight, which also served as his One FC debut.

Experience inside the One FC cage will play a huge factor for the well-rounded Belingon, which should reap dividends in his quest to capture the bantamweight title.

A win for Belingon will get him ever closer to a showdown with reigning bantamweight champion Bibiano “The Flash” Fernandez. – Rappler.com

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